Denver Zoo Ranks as One of the Best and Most Ethical in the Country!

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The Denver Zoo is one of the city's greatest attractions, and it's getting some much-deserved recognition! Travel + Leisure has ranked the Denver Zoo as one of the best and most ethical in the entire country.

The zoo is ranked among some impressive attractions, including Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park, the San Diego Zoo, and the Smithsonian's National Zoo.

"Thanks to zoos, we can watch a family of orangutans swing from branch to branch and a lion cub snuggle into its mother in a single afternoon. But as amazing as it can be to witness these wild animals up close, many activists view zoos as prisons," writes Travel + Leisure. "That's why it's important to do your research and carefully choose the zoo you support. Many go above and beyond to ensure animal welfare, protect endangered species, revive dwindling populations through captive breeding programs, and educate people on the plight of some of the world's rarest creatures."

Travel + Leisure looked at all of the zoos that fall under the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA) list of accredited zoos. From there, they selected the 9 most popular, according to AZA "to make your next visit a little easier to plan."

Here's what Travel + Leisure had to say about the Denver Zoo:

"This centrally located 84-acre Denver zoo is home over 3,000 animals ... But the zoo is about more than just encounters with giraffes and zebras — its Field Conservation and Emergency Wildlife Response teams work to protect species threatened by human encroachment, habitat loss, and catastrophic events in places like Botswana, Peru, and Mongolia."

Check out the full list of the best-ranked zoos here.

We're big fans of the Denver Zoo here at Our Community Now, and we've got a few related articles that you definitely want to check out before your next visit: